Bottom weight carrier for braiding machines



A. J. GROH March 29, 1955 BOTTOM WEIGHT CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MACHINESFiled Oct. 27, 1952 IN VEN TOR. AUGUST J- GROH fl 'zwg/az'y UnitedStates Patent' BOTTOM WEIGHT CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES August I.Groh, New York, N. Y. Application October 27, 1952, Serial No. 317,046 1Claim. (Cl. 87-56) This invention relates to bobbin or package carriersfor braiding machines and, more particularly, to a bottom weight forsuch a carrie In such machines, the carrier is provided with a bottomweight which moves the thread or cord downwardly against the base orfoot of the carrier which is often greasy, oily and dusty resulting insoiling the thread or cor In some of the carriers, the bottom weight isgrooved or cut away at its bottom edge to provide a guide and supportfor the thread. This is objectionable as it weakens the weight at theplace where it comes into contact with the base of the carrier and islikely to become damaged by constant hammering and jarring.

The present invention proposes to overcome these disadvantages byeliminating the groove or cutout at the lower end of the bottom weightand by providing a guide and support for the thread at a point remotefrom the bottom end so that the thread is not carried down into contactwith the base of the carrier.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination ofelements adapted for applying tension to the thread or cord in such amanner as to efliciently tension the same without rendering it liable toabrasion or injury through being caught in the moving parts of thetensioning mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom weight with athread guide and support which is easily threaded and which supports thethread entirely out of contact with the surface of the carrier partsduring its vertical movements to prevent soiling or abrading of thethread. 1

Still another object of the invention is to provide a bottom weight andthread guide and support for a carrier of this kind which may be cast inone piece.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct bottomtension weights for braiding machine carriers which are simple anddurable andwhich can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost;

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier for a braiding machineembodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the bottom end of thecarrier.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of the line 44 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottom weight of thecarrier.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings,the bobbin supporting platform is illustrated at 10, in Fig. 3. Thecarrier made in accordance with the invention is indicated at 11 andcomprises a base or foot 12 which rests on the upper surface of thebobbin supporting platform. The base 12 is provided with a dependingprojection 13 which projects through an opening in the bobbin supportingplatform. Integrally formed on the lower end of the projection 13 is aplate 14 which engages the under side of the bobbin supporting platformfor the purpose of maintaining the bobbin carrier in an upright posit onon said supporting platform. The retaining plate 14 is provided with adepending projection 15 which is adapted to be selzllgagad by the lugsof the operating train of gears (not own The base 12 of the carrier isformed with a vertical extending spindle 16 which is adapted to receivea thread package or bobbin shown diagrammatically at 17, the lower endof said bobbin resting upon a cross-piece 18 formed on the base 12 ofthe carrier. Trunnions' 19 project from the cross-piece 18 forsupporting the usual latch (not shown).

The carrier 11 is also provided with a vertically extending threadguiding post or standard 20, parallel to the spindle 16. The upper endof the post is formed narrower at 21 than the rest of its body portionto permit the entering of the top weight (not shown) thereon. Midway itsends, the post is formed with a guide opening 22 through which isthreaded a thread 23 from the bobbin 17. On top of the post on one sidethereof is a lead-oif eye 24 for the thread 23, and on its opposite sidea lip or stop 25 for limiting the upward movement of the weight.

Slidably mounted on the post 20 is a one-piece bottom tension weight 26for controlling the run of the thread 23 and for applying tensioningstresses thereto. The weight consists of an angled body 27 formed withspaced elongated guide shoe members 28 and 29 disposed at an acute angletoward each other and connected at their bottom ends by a bridge portion30. The shoe members are formed at their opposed adjacent inner endswith angled grooves 31, the walls 32 of which guide the movements of theweight along the side end surfaces of the post. The outer ends of thewalls 32 overlap the post to prevent lateral displacement thereof orremoval therefrom. The clearance between the walls of the grooves andthe post is such as to permit free movement of the weight along thepost.

Formed integrally with the guide shoe member 28 is a flat lateral arm 33extending across the space between the shoe members. A bayonet slot 34is formed in the lower end of the arm in line with the space between theguide shoe members and opens downwardly. The walls of this bayonet slotserve as a guide and support for the yarn thread 23. The outer free endof the arm 33 overlaps the inner end of the shoe member 29 but is spacedoutwardly therefrom to provide a clearance 35 communicating with thebayonet slot 34 whereby the thread 23 can be readily threaded into theslot.

In operation, the thread 23 is led from the bobbin 17 through the threadguide opening 22 in the post 20, thence downwardly along the post andbehind the arm 33 and outwardly through the bayonet slot 34 in the armand thence upwardly through the lead-off eye 24 at the top of the post,to the braiding mandrel of the machine.

As the machine operates, the loop formed in the thread 23 is shortenedwhich causes the tension weight 26 to move upwardly on the post 20. Whenthe pressure on the weight is released, the weight falls by gravity to alower tensioning position and the same operation is repeated.

In the present construction, tioned remote from the bottom end of thetension weight 26 so that the lowermost travel of the loop of the thread23 is to a point remote from the base 12 of the carrier so that there isno chance of the thread coming into contact with dirt, grease or otherforeign matter and becoming soiled. Furthermore, the outer free end ofthe guide arm 33 is spaced from the shoe member 29 so as to permit readythreading of the thread, and the thread is maintained out of contactwith the post to prevent soiling or abrading of the thread. The bottomend of the tension weight 26 is imperforate where it contacts the base12 of the carrier so that jarring and hammering will not tend to damageor weaken the weight.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as the guide arm 33 isposinew, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In combination with a braiding machine having a thread receiving Spindleand a thread guiding post; a tension weight slidable on said guidingpost; said tension weight comprising a pair of diverging guide shoes,bridge means joining said guide shoes at the lower edges thereof, saidguide shoes having vertical grooves therein for sliding engagement withsaid guiding post, and an arm secured on one guide shoe above saidbridge means and extending across towards the other guide shoe andslightly spaced therefrom, said arm having a bayonet slot whereby thethread is slid between the space formed between the arm and the otherguide shoe and beneath said arm into said bayonet slot to tension saidthread, and said arm being intermediate the guide shoe to whichit issecured and normal to the length of said shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS623,514 Cabezola Apr. 25, 1899 1,742,124- Blaisdell Dec. 31, 19291,742,125 Blaisdell Dec. 31, 1929 2,043,285 Dennis June 9, 19362,144,991 Mossberg Jan. 24, 1939 2,437,539 King Mar. 9, 1948

